Blair made the recommendations during a seminar organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) and Tony Blair Associates in Hanoi on March 4.
Under the co-chairmanship of Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Bui Thanh Son, Blair and delegates openly discussed recent economic and political developments in Asia and the world, future prospects, and policy recommendations to the country.
He said that the role of foreign affairs has changed and diplomacy should take account of regional and international trends, have strategic visions, and closely link economics with politics while appreciating the roles of integration and multilateral diplomacy.
The former PM answered several questions about China, multilateral co-operation mechanisms, particularly the World Trade Organisation, free trade agreements and the Vietnam-UK strategic partnership.
Earlier, Son met with Blair to seek measures to enhance co-operation between the MOFA and Tony Blair Associates in the future, particularly in policy study and consultancy, as well as improvements to economic and multilateral diplomacy capabilities through training officers, supporting partners’ ties, and organising activities to promote the country during high-level visits.
